as in fraud
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
that's just a scam to bilk insurance companies for staged accidents
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scam
These pop-ups are scams meant to deceive you into thinking your iPhone has been compromised.
—
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2025
More from Personal Finance: Here’s when to list your home for sale this spring
Tax season is prime time for scams.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2025
The scam lasted from June 2024 to January 2025, court filings say.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Netflix Hornigold met a friend in Zurich named Juan, who was suspicious that Dionne was a scam artist and not, in fact, dying.
—Charley Ross, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scam
Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2025
More from Personal Finance: Here’s when to list your home for sale this spring
Tax season is prime time for scams.
—Lorie Konish, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2025
The scam lasted from June 2024 to January 2025, court filings say.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2025
Netflix Hornigold met a friend in Zurich named Juan, who was suspicious that Dionne was a scam artist and not, in fact, dying.
—Charley Ross, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scam
Noun
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The panel also agreed Way acted with malice, oppression or fraud, and awarded her another $250,000 in punitive damages.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Robinson faces five felonies: concealment of a death, identity theft, two counts of financial card theft, financial card fraud and car theft.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And last year's $30 million in romance swindles was up from 2023's $24.4 million.—
Alex Fitzpatrick,
Axios,
18 Mar. 2025
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Among the top swindles is one in which people extort money by pretending an arrest warrant has been issued for the victim, Smith said.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Dwight Gooden, who was the rookie of the year in 1984, thought the hoax was real at first.—
New York Daily News,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
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In reality, the book and the article were the twin prongs of an elaborate hoax — but an important and influential one, Tinline explains in this entertaining history, with reverberations that have lasted into the present era of QAnon and Deep State conspiracy theories.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Newsweek spoke to veterinarians to understand the pros and cons of this decision.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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Explore the pros and cons of advocating for or against prioritizing inclusion in the workplace.—
Simone E. Morris,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Detectives arrested a man accused in a lottery ticket stealing scheme that netted him and a partner thousands of dollars in winnings, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
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His chief adviser was also charged in state court with taking part in a separate bribery scheme.—
Jan Ransom,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scam. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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